European clubs urge FIFA against expanding 32-team World CupDecember 15, 2016 - 13:26 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Europe's top clubs are calling on FIFA President Gianni Infantino not to expand the World Cup from its 32-team format, The Associated Press said. European Club Association chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says the number of games played each season "has already reached an unacceptable level." Rummenigge says he wrote to Infantino on Friday, December 9 ahead of a possible Jan. 10 expansion decision by the FIFA Council. Infantino wants 48 teams at the 2026 World Cup, adding 368 players committed to national-team duty for at least one month. A bigger and more lucrative World Cup would help fulfill Infantino's election promises to FIFA's 211 member federations. Rummenigge says "politics and commerce should not be the exclusive priority in football." The 220-member ECA's research said European clubs employed 76 percent of players at the 2014 World Cup. Top stories Armenian gymnast, Olympic bronze medalist Artur Davtyan has reached the finals of the World Cup. Gor Manvelyan has denied reports alleging that he has expressed a desire to one day play for the French national team. Roma midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan is not considering FC Spartak Moscow as his next haven, according to fresh reports. 10 Armenian lifters will compete in the 2021 World Championships scheduled to be held from 7 to 17 December in Tashkent. Partner news | Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. Azerbaijan must respect human rights, Scholz tells Aliyev German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for greater respect for human rights in Azerbaijan. |